Its sprite was wrong. It didn't face the opponent; it faced you , the player. Its beak was hooked like a rusted blade, and dark pixels dripped from its talons.
Suddenly, the game forced a warp. You were in the Hall of Fame, but the statues were cracked. Standing at the end was the Rival, his back turned. When you approached, he didn't trigger a battle. He spoke in a text box that scrolled too fast to read, except for the final line: Pokemon Raptor Ex Exe
You selected "Sky Attack."The screen didn't flash white. It flashed a deep, bruised purple. There was no fainting animation. The Pidgey’s sprite simply shattered into red fragments that lingered on the battlefield. “EXE is still hungry,” the screen whispered. Its sprite was wrong
You dropped the handheld. When it hit the floor, the cartridge popped out. It was hot to the touch, smelling of ozone and burnt plastic. You looked at the label again. The Sharpie hadn't just been written on the plastic; it had been etched deep into the casing, like it was done by a claw. Suddenly, the game forced a warp
You wandered into the tall grass. A wild Pidgey appeared. “Wild PIDGEY is terrified!” the text box read.The Pidgey didn’t attack. It tried to flee, but the game prompted: “EXE won’t let it leave.”